​Within the gated community of Crescent Point, sex and betrayal comes as naturally as breathing. Those who live within its walls have no worries to call their own and move along life in blissful play but when a new face appears in town, everything they know will be turned upside down and lives will be altered in ways none of them ever imagined...

​Julie sat staring at Kristen, a mix of anger and concern swimming in her eyes. Kristen just sat there, her feet flat on the floor and, knees together, her arms hanging limply at her side and she wore a blank, empty expression on her face.

Julie closed her eyes and breathed deeply before opening her mouth again to speak. “What didn’t you have a choice in? You agree to help him again? Jesus, Kris, what the hell happened?” Julie’s voice was strained; she could scarcely keep the emotion out of it. Even though she and Kristen had had a falling out years prior, she still worried about her whenever Art was involved.

Art was the biggest reason Julie and Kristen had stopped talking. He was the scam artist that had pulled Julie into the criminal lifestyle. Julie hated him for that; in time, Kristen felt the same way towards Julie. When Kristen had come to Julie for help starting over, Julie had agreed and moved her and Dani to Crescent Point on the conditions that Art would never be part of her life again and Kristen would stay away from Julie and her family. Tonight, she had broken both promises.

“Speak up, Kris. Tell me what happened. What’d you have to do? I can’t fix anything unless I know what to fix.”

“She threatened to hurt my baby,” Kristen said flatly. She stared unblinkingly at the wall straight ahead as she spoke. “I had no choice. I did what I had to do for me and my family. If I didn’t do it, then...” She turned her head and looked directly into Julie’s angry eyes. “I was left with no choice, don’t you see? I could not let her hurt my baby girl.”

“Kristen?” Julie asked as she stepped towards the couch. She sat down slowly next to Kristen, who still stared that blank stare. “Kristen? What happened?” She grabbed Kristen’s shoulder and shook her. “What happened?”

Kristen blinked quickly, adjusting her sight. She looked at Julie with an almost lost look in her eyes before shaking her head and leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and dropped her head.

“After Art walked out... his business partner decided to try and change my mind. She told me she’d hurt Dani... she threatened to kill her...” Tears began to slide down her cheek. She wiped them away harshly before continuing. “She said she’d have her ‘boys’ drag my baby girl off and ‘fuck her like the slut her mama is.’ I slapped her... and then we fought. She kept taunting me... describing how they’d abuse Dani... and then... then... oh, shit, Jules... I...” She broke down, consumed by hysterics. Julie tried to calm her, but there was nothing she could do. She could just sit there and wait for Kristen to pull herself back together.

- - - -

​“Are you sure it’s really him?” Paul asked nervously as he sat down in the booth. “I mean, last time we saw him or his mother was...”

“I saw the birth certificate,” Allen responded flatly before gulping down his fifth vodka cranberry. “He’s Maria’s boy... no fuckin’ doubt about it.” He waved the waitress over and ordered another drink. “Anything for you?” He asked Paul, who shook his head without even thinking about it. Once the waitress was gone, Allen frowned at Paul. “Trust me man, tonight is the night to jump off the goddamned wagon. Soon as the wrong people find out about this shit... man... we are all in for a world of shit.”

“What the hell happened?” Paul slouched back into the cushioned seat and sunk down. He crossed his arms tight enough to strain his muscles. “She and that little brat of hers were supposed to stay as far away as possible from here. Why come back now? What, she want money? She feel like torturing us?”

“She dead, man.”

Paul’s eyes went wide with shock. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He tried to talk again but was interrupted by the waitress placing Allen’s drink on the table.

“Anything else, boys?” Her voice was thick with a southern accent. She smiled widely as she twirled a bit of her long brown hair between her fingers.

“No, we’re good,” Allen said, giving her a drunken smile in return. He watched her intently as she bounced away. “Damn, I love this place.”

“Hey, Al, issues here, alright? Eyeball the skanks later, ‘kay?”

“Yea, yea, bitch’s brat... got it...” Slowly, Allen turned his attention back to his friend and frowned again. “So... where were we?”

“Raul is Maria’s kid. And he’s here in town. At school with our kids. Caught up now?”

“Cancer a few years back. The kid’s been bounced around the system since he was eleven or so. He started lookin’ for his father after she dropped and his search’s led ‘im ‘ere.” Allen leaned forward, almost knocking over his drink. “We knew this shit could happen one day, man. Just so happens that day is now.”

“I know... I know... But shit, Al... this could ruin-”

“No doubt ‘bout that. Someone is fucked. Oh, and there’s one more thing I should probably tell you and you’re not gonna like it ‘cause it kinda fucks everything up even more tha-”

“Stop rambling and tell me.”

“After I met the kid but before I realized who the fuck he was... I assigned Elijah to show him around.”

“Shit. You’re right; that’s fucks everything up even more.”

“Sorry, man. By the time I realized...”

“Yea, I know. Shit. How the hell are we goin’ to fix this?” Paul dropped his head to the table and groaned. “This is...”

“Want that drink now?”

Paul looked up and scoffed. “Oh, yea. I need it.”

- - - -

​Henry leaned against the girl’s bathroom door and knocked softly. “C’mon, babe, talk to me. Please.” I don’t even know why the hell you’re so pissed. I didn’t do anything... least, I not that I know of...” He knocked again, a bit harder this time. “Please, Sam...”Seriously, what the fuck just happened? Did I-

“Hey Henry,” Dani asked as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Haven’t seen you all day.” She nuzzled against his back as she tightened her grip.

He wiggled free, turned around and leaned against the door with a loud thud. “Hey, Dani. Yea, um, sorry. Was in shop all morning workin’ on my final.”

Dani eyed him suspiciously. “What’s goin’ on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Henry, please. I’ve known you how long? I can tell when somethin’ is up. So spill, hon, what’s wrong?” She crossed her arms and leaned towards him. “Talk now ‘cause you know I’ll just keep harassin’ you till you spit it out.”

Henry sighed and slumped his shoulders and dropped his gaze to the floor. “It’s Sam. She’s... I dunno what she is right now, but... I think she’s angry at me and I don’t know why.”

“Why do you think that?”

“She’s bein’... well, she’s bein’ a bitch. A bigger one than normal.”

Dani giggled. “That’s our Sam, hon. You, more than any of us, should know that by now.”

“Yea, I know. But this is different than her usual bitch-fits. Those I’m use to, I can deal with. It’s just that this time... this... whatever the hell it is... it feels like she wants a fight... a knock down, drag out kinda fight... but she’s holdin’ back, playin’ some kinda game.”

Dani hugged him tight. “I think you’re overthinkin’ this. I’m sure everything’ll be fine. Let her ass cool down and by tonight you two will be havin’ the greatest make up sex ever.”

“She’s not comin’ tonight. Said she had some family thing. Sounds like bullshit, but...”

Dani let him go and backed away. Her mouth was frozen in a surprised ‘O’ expression while she tried to force herself to speak. “Oh,” was all she could say.

“She doesn’t have any family shit, does she?” His eyes filled with doubt and anxiety as he spoke. “She’s just blowin’ me off and I dunno why.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Dani said, sounding completely confident in her words. Just... let Samantha get over whatever her issue of the week is and as soon as she’s over her own personal drama, this shit’ll be over with and you two will be happy and whatnot again. For now, just chill out and enjoy the freedom. In fact, why don’t we do somethin’ tonight? Been a while since I kicked your ass in Mortal Kombat. What do you say? Me, you, pizza and some Mileena versus Goro?” She smiled broadly and innocently.

Henry hesitated, looking back at the door before smiling back and nodding. “Sure, why the fuck not. Seven-ish?”

“It’s a date.”

- - - -

Kristen wiped the tears off her cheeks, smudging her running eyeliner at the same time. The crying was over, her breathing had gone back to normal and she was again sitting up. She looked at Julie and faked a small smile.